New Research Triggers
Action Plan to Tackle Rural Racism

University
of Leicester Report on Suffolk also Charts Effects of Racism in Rural and
Isolated Areas

A new research report, entitled
‘Tackling the Invisible Problem’ has identified how experiences of racism in
rural areas are compounded by a sense of isolation for many minority ethnic
groups.

The University of Leicester study,
undertaken in Suffolk, discovered that some forms of racism, such as verbal
abuse, were commonplace, and also that more serious types of incident, such as
physical attacks and damage to property had also been experienced by a
substantial number of those included in the research. Some victims of racism
also stated that they found rural Suffolk to be an unwelcoming place for
minority ethnic groups to live, often because of a perceived lack of support
from local agencies.

Criminologists Jon Garland and Neil
Chakraborti from the Scarman Centre, University of Leicester, produced a report
that makes more than 30 recommendations to local agencies to enhance the
services already provided to victims of racism. This has led to renewed efforts
to tackle racism in rural Suffolk.

The research, commissioned by Suffolk
County Council and partner organisations, examined the effectiveness of the
provision of support services to victims of racial harassment by various
statutory and voluntary agencies in rural Suffolk. It found that the Council’s
Racial Harassment Initiative, a scheme designed to provide support to victims of
racial abuse and harassment, was widely appreciated by those victims for the
comprehensive help and guidance it gives them following a racist incident.

However, not all of the agencies examined
were perceived by victims as providing such effective support, and indeed
various agencies were criticised by some victims for being insensitive and
unsympathetic to their circumstances.

Jon
Garland, Research Fellow, said: “Racism in rural areas can impact greatly upon
the lives of minority ethnic families who often
feel isolated and think they have no-one to turn to for help. Whilst some
agencies, such as the Racial Harassment Initiative, were widely praised for the
support they provide to victims of racism, others received a more mixed
response”.

Neil
Chakraborti, Research Officer, said: “The research findings confirmed what the
agencies involved suspected: racism is a problem in rural areas and
impacts greatly upon the lives of minority ethnic families and individuals. Our
recommendations are now being acted upon and will lead to a multi-agency action
plan designed to tackle rural racism in Suffolk”.

The report, ‘Tackling the Invisible
Problem: An Examination of the Provision of Services to Victims of Racial
Harassment in Rural Suffolk’ is available free of charge from Shammi Jalota,
Racial Harassment Initiative, Suffolk
County Council, Rope Walk, Ipswich IP4 2JP, telephone 01473 584591.